Number 10 has said the prime minister still favours a last minute compromise deal on controversial legislation to ban fox hunting.

Speaking on Monday, Downing Street's official spokesman said the option of allowing hunting under license was still Tony Blair's personal preference.

"He still believes that this is the best way forward, but lets wait and see what the House of Lords sends back," said the spokesman.

Ministers are still searching for a compromise ahead of a further Commons vote on Tuesday.

Frantic behind the scenes efforts are being made in Westminster to find a deal on the issue.

Peers were expected to send the Hunting Bill back to the Commons on Monday with the outright ban favoured by MPs overturned.

The Lords was expected to approve amendments to the controversial legislation by opting to retain licensed fox hunting and ruling out any complete ban until 2007 at the earliest.

If there is no deal by Thursday, speaker Michael Martin is expected to invoke the Parliament Act and force through a ban if agreement is not reached between the Commons and the Lords.

Former sports minister Kate Hoey, who opposes a ban, told GMTV's Sunday Programme that invoking the Parliament Act for the bill would be "unprecedented".

She said: "I think there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to perhaps get some kind of compromise even at this stage.

"We are in a situation where, if we are serious about the view of parliament being taken into account, there is no majority for an outright ban."

Hoey blamed a group of "obsessed" Labour MPs, led by Tony Banks, for the controversy.

She said: "Banning hunting will be seen by fair-minded people in this country as something the prime minister should not be doing."

'Kamikaze'

Meanwhile it has been reported that peers were preparing for a "kamikaze" attempt to embarrass Tony Blair over the issue.

Under the current proposals hunts would have 18 months grace before the ban was enforced in a government bid to avoid damaging clashes in the run up to the election.

However, the Lords intend to opt for an "honest ban" which comes into effect in just three months.

Lord Donoughue, a former Labour minister, said peers were presented with "an impossible and very painful choice".

"We either go with the three months, which rapidly destroys the livelihood of many people but does bring the matter honestly to a head and introduces the human rights issue," he said.

"Or we buy a little more time for huntsmen but leave them with no long-term future."

The latter option "simply enables the government to wriggle out of facing the consequences of its policies during the election campaign".